During the She Talks Asia Summit, we were able to learn nuggets of wisdom from many inspiring women. Here are the top 3 mental health tips we learned.
Related: Film Fatale Quinn Shephard Talks Candidly About Consent, Cancelled Projects, and Award Season Snubs
On March 27, 2021, She Talks Asia held their annual summit titled, REFRAME: Same, same, but different. This year it was all about finding a fresh and positive perspective towards life amidst the pandemic. The event was held from 10:00 am till 4:00 pm and was segregated into five parts. Each segment tackled on different situations modern women get involved in during the ongoing global crisis and in their personal relationships. In a way, you could say that each of these five segments were meant to tackle the holistic well-being of Filipinas everywhere. In attendance, were Filipinas of different backgrounds, beliefs, and age groups. They were being guided by the She Talks Asia team and founders, namely: Lynn Pinugu, Sarah Meier Heredia, Vicky Herrera, Iza Calzado Wintle, and Bianca Gonzalez Intal.
As a woman, it was nice to see a healthy and respectful discussion among women from all over the Philippines. I personally did not know anyone in the forum, but was intrigued throughout all the segments. The enthusiasm and intelligence of all the women in the summit was amazing to witness. Despite being held via Zoom, the summit was very interactive and extremely informative. During the sessions, I was able to note down three important lessons that could help my mental health in times of crisis. Here they are:
Resilience = Trust + Generosity
When I used to think of resilience, I would usually equate it to toughness. If I was emotionless enough, I’d be able to go through anything. This caused me to sometimes be cold towards the people I work with. This is why I was completely stunned when I found out that resilience is a result of trust and generosity. Although, after I pondered on the thought I realized that warmth and care is what puts us through all the hardships– not stoicism.
CHAMPS: Connect. Have fun. Attention/Appreciation. Mindfulness/Meditation. Physical exertion. Sleep.
Those who have been working on their mental health for the past year would probably already know CHAMPS. For a workaholic like me, it was the first time I’ve ever heard about it. During the open forum, one of the attendees asked Carelle Herrera on mental health tips that can be done at home. Carelle offered CHAMPS on a silver platter. She said performing all letters can instantly increase our happy hormones.
Self-compassion is key
The last session of She Talks Asia was with Dr. Joanna Herrera. She was one of the key speakers for the session, Reframe your life. In the session, she gave us the psychologist perspective with regards to how we approach life and the relationships we keep throughout it. My key takeaway from her is self-compassion. Sometimes we misinterpret self-compassion with self-pity, while other times we are too hard on ourselves. There must be a good balance of compassion and mindfulness to keep negative thoughts at bay.
If you would like to know more about She Talks Asia, you can look their website or their Instagram and Facebook for weekly updates. Watch out for their upcoming talks, activities, and webinars by giving them a follow. Get in touch with their team and share your story through by sending them a message on their socials.
